A new home providing shelter and education to 296 orphans opened on August 26 in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

The Suomahua orphan school is run by Liangshan's Development Center of Women and Children of the Yi ethnic group, a non-governmental organization aiming to improve the living standards of local women and children.

Due to frequent natural disasters and poor medical conditions, more than 1,000 school-age children were orphaned and live in poverty in Meigu county, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, according to the civil affairs bureau of the county.